Common Treatments for Insomnia

Insomnia treatment can help ease sleeplessness symptoms and promote restful sleep. Chronic insomnia can be exhausting and discouraging. If you struggle with sleeplessness regularly, you might have insomnia. Insomnia can interfere with your job and family duties and affect your physical and mental health. Read on to learn about the most common treatments for insomnia.

Understanding insomnia

Many people have trouble sleeping from time to time. Short-term insomnia often results from jet lag, job stress, or an ill family member. Chronic insomnia is different in that it may last for weeks or months and could have no cause at all. Insomnia affects each patient differently, causing some to wake up too early and others to experience difficulty falling asleep. Many patients with insomnia wake through the night and feel tired the next day.

Sleeplessness can threaten physical and mental health. Insomnia patients are more likely to report symptoms of depression or anxiety. Some have trouble keeping a job or caring for their children. Sleep deprivation also increases the risk of accidents and injuries.

Causes and risk factors

Insomnia, often linked to stress or anxiety, can result from situations such as divorce or financial troubles. In other cases, trauma and grief can trigger insomnia. Poor sleep hygiene and frequent travel might also play a role. Insomnia can often occur alongside other conditions, such as:

• Anxiety
• Dementia
• Depression
• Parkinson's disease
• PTSD

During the patient's initial consultation, our team gets to the root of the patient's symptoms. We also look for health conditions that might affect the patient's sleep quality. If the patient's sleep problems have lasted for more than four weeks, it is time to seek care. The patient should let the provider know about the severity of their symptoms. Tracking symptoms can help speed up the diagnostic process.

Treatments for insomnia

Each patient evaluation begins with a complete physical examination. Next, the psychiatrist looks for health problems that might play a role in their insomnia. We perform a depression screening as well. In some cases, they may look for other disorders or psychiatric symptoms.

Afterward, the psychiatrist will review the patient's sleep habits and discuss the patient's lifestyle. It is essential to investigate lifestyle factors that often interfere with sleep quality. We may recommend lifestyle changes that can support restful sleep. If the psychiatrist is not sure what is causing the symptoms, we may recommend a sleep study. A sleep study measures the patient's breathing, heart rate, and brain function. Sleep studies can detect physical problems that affect sleep quality. They will then diagnose the patient and discuss their possible treatment options from the following.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)

Many patients with insomnia can benefit from cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT can identify unhealthy behaviors and alter harmful thought patterns. During treatment, the provider explores possible causes of insomnia. They help patients work through stressful situations in their lives. CBT can help patients reframe their approach to sleep.

CBT aims to break the cycle of anxiety and sleeplessness. It alters a person's mindset and relieves stress surrounding insomnia. Since CBT involves no medication or surgical procedures, it is suitable for all patients. In addition, treating other mental or physical health disorders might help to resolve insomnia and related symptoms.

Medications

Some patients may also opt for medication. The right medication can help patients fall asleep while treating underlying conditions like depression or anxiety. The most commonly used antipsychotics to treat insomnia are quetiapine (Seroquel) (dosed at 25–250 mg) and olanzapine (Zyprexa) (dosed at 2.5–20 mg). Olanzapine has effects that last a max of 4–6 hours, making it better suited for treating sleep maintenance problems than for sleep onset problems.

If the patient chooses to take medication, a psychiatrist carefully tracks their response. Some sleeping medications can produce unwanted side effects, and others may create a dependency. The psychiatrist will monitor the patient's dosage to ensure they take the right amount.

Lifestyle and environmental changes

Patients must ensure their sleep environment encourages healthy, normal sleep patterns. Good sleep hygiene depends on key factors, such as darkness, no presence of unnatural light (TV, phone, etc.), cool temperatures, and regular airflow. Lastly, we recommend implementing healthy bedtime practices that help associate the bed with sleep. We will help patients determine these factors depending on their current lifestyle and environment.

Get better sleep today

Although insomnia treatment is ongoing and may take a few weeks, starting as soon as possible is best. Better sleep means improved mood, focus, and well-being. We can help you get started and learn how to maintain healthy sleeping patterns. Call our office at (917) 391-0076 to schedule an insomnia treatment consultation today.

To learn more about our services, visit https://nycpsychiatricassociates.com or call our New York office at (917) 391-0076 to schedule an appointment.

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